What ages are you comfortable with a bunk bed?

[todzwife]

Bunking the girl's bed would free up a heck of a lot of space for girl #3's crib. There is NOT room in our bedroom for a crib, but she will be sleeping in the Rock and Play in our room for several months.

I'm terrified of bunk beds. At least until they are old enough to NOT jump on the bed. But that's a ways off. I'm wondering if I'm just being silly and need to relax.

[crl]

I d be okay with bunk beds after age 6 or 7.

Catherine

[rin]

For me it would depend on the kid, namely on gross motor skills (so, ability to safely climb up the ladder) and on maturity (not to jump off the bed, lean off the railings/etc). I'm guessing somewhere around 5/6 for the top bunk? I would be ok with a younger child having the bottom bunk, but only if that child was the rule-following kind who could be trusted NOT to climb up the ladder if told not to.

[bisous]

Well, DS2 is sleeping on the top bunk now and he's only five! I used to think that was way too young but...he's doing fine? Our bunk is lower than normal so the top bunk is probably "only" maybe four and half feet off the ground? It is also completely "fenced" in.

[stonecali]

DS is turning 6 and I think he'd be fine up there (he sleeps on the bottom right now). He has great gross motor skills so I would not be worried if he was going up and down the ladder at night. I think that part depends on the kid. DD took longer to get really good at the ladder. I would have said 7 for her. I am not as worried about jumping on the bed. For some reason my kids don't jump on the bed (now that I am writing this, I think this is odd.... I remember CRAZY jumping on my bed when I was little. We used to break our box springs!).

[lhafer]

We currently have unbunked bunk beds and mine share a room. They are 7 and 3. I think next year I will rebunk the beds for them so they have more room. She's a rule follower and timid though. The beds were bunked when we first got them when the 7 year old was 4. She slept on the bottom, and played on the top. But she never jumped on the bed.

[Ceepa]

I'd say 6, but I know families who start younger and their DC have been fine.

[kboyle]

lol, ds1 was on the top bunk at 3 and ds2 on bottom bunk at 15mos.

we took them apart when they were 5 & 3 because neither wanted to be on top bunk.

put back together a year later with ds1 on top and ds2 on bottom. they switched spots last year with ds2/6 on top and ds1/8 on bottom because (lol) ds1 had a tendency to ROLL OFF THE TOP!! amazingly he never got hurt and always just sleepily climbed back up.

ds1 has decided he wants his own room so ds2 will stay on top and ds3/6 in may will be on bottom once we switch the rooms.

i can't honestly say my boys ever felt the need to jump on the beds...they jump on hotel beds, but not on their own. i never even thought twice to NOT put them in bunks cause of their age.

i wouldn't worry about it.

[o_mom]

Unless we absolutely need them for space reasons, we will probably never have them. I know too many kids who have been injured on them (broken bones and internal injuries), most doing nothing against 'the rules'. Many times they were just climbing up or down. These were not all younger kids either - elementary and middle school.

[hellokitty]

Our twin/twin loft beds (L shaped, they are attached) actually say a minimum age of age 6. I think that is a good age. My kids were about 5 & 6 when we got this loft bed and we have always been very clear with them that safety is #1 with this bed and if they do something stupid and get hurt, we will get rid of the bed. We also have a policy of no kids in their bedroom. I don't want some other child falling off of their bed, or there being too many up there at once. For reference, my older kids are now ages 7 and 9. My 3 yr old has climbed up there before, even though he knows he isn't allowed to do it. So, the big worry would be your youngest one.

[KLD313]

My ex-h and I had his 3 and 6 year old kids in Ikea loft beds, they were high! We just removed the ladder at night and told them to call us if they needed to get down. Neither of them tried to jump off, plus there was a guardrail that would make it hard to do. They were wild kids, I'm actually shocked they didn't try to jump, the height must have scared them.

[KpbS]

My vote is 6 or 7 for the top bunk.

[kellij]

We have a pbk bunk and it says the top bunk is for ages 6 and up, so that's what we've gone with.

[Avispa]

We have DD1 (4) on the lower bunk and DD2 (2) on the top one of an IKEA kura bed. I know, crazy to have the little one on top. But DD2 is locked in her peapod tent at night, so she can't escape. Also, we have stairs jammed between the bed and a large piece of furniture so they can't fall off while going up to the top bunk. It is like this (http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc476/ceparent/DSC_0992_zps80ce06fa.jpg), except that now the pea pod is at the top :)

[JdrKuhnert]

My boys were 4 and 2 when we started them in bunk beds at our weekend house with the youngest on the bottom. In our apartment, we put DS2 in a high loft bed at 3.5. He had a slanted ladder and had no problems climbing up. The bed has side rails and he can't fall out in his sleep. At 5 he is actually wilder in his bed than he was at 3.5.

[sweetsue98]

I've seen the disclaimer when I was searching that its recommended the child is 6 yo and up for the top bunk.

[smilequeen]

We were considering them for my 8 and 5 year old, but nixed the idea. Having a littler one in the house who I knew would want to climb it just seemed too dangerous. I'd say 5-6 minimum for me. At least 6 to actually sleep on top, but anything younger than 5 and I just don't want the climbing temptation around.

We just stayed in a ski condo and it had bunk beds. My older 2 both wanted to sleep on top. They loved it. But I was right. I had to police the 2 year old because he was constantly trying to climb the thing.

[Melaine]

We have the Ikea Kura which might be a good compromise. The girls have been in them since 3.5.....is that right? 4? Would have to check. They are lower and have a nice lip. I would still keep the LO away from it, but DS can't even go in the girls room because of all the teeny toys.

[sntm]

May not help with the space issue but twin over full bunk beds are a nice compromise. Got ours when DS was 5. Up against the wall on one side, falling out would be on lower bunk.